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Thomas looking to help Bruins win fourth straight

Oct 20, 2007 - 1:45 PM NY Rangers (2-4-0) at Boston (4-2-0) 4:00 pm EDT

BOSTON (Ticker) -- The Boston Bruins just could not wait to get on the ice Saturday.

Tim Thomas will hope to continue his tremendous start when the Bruins host the New York Rangers in an afternoon contest.

Boston decided to move up the start time from 7:00 pm EDT because the Red Sox are hosting the Cleveland Indians in Game Six of the American League Championship Series on Saturday night.

Thomas is 3-1-0 with an NHL-best 1.26 goals-against average and .962 save percentage thus far this season. He made 35 saves and Marco Sturm scored two goals as the Bruins cruised to a 4-1 victory over the Tampa Bay Lightning in their home opener Thursday.

Sturm is off to good start, racking up three goals and five points over six contests. His linemate, center Marc Savard, leads the team with seven assists and eight points and Patrice Bergeron has registered three goals and seven points.

While Boston has won its only home game this year, New York has struggled away from Madison Square Garden this season, going 0-3-0 on the road so far. The Rangers' woes continued on Thursday when they suffered a 5-3 setback to the previously winless Atlanta Thrashers.

The Rangers have lost the last two games and four of their previous five but have enjoyed some recent success against the Bruins, winning their last eight contests against their Eastern Conference foe. Boston has not beaten New York since March 4, 2004.

The Rangers have not looked like a team that was projected as a favorite to win the conference. They sit at the bottom of the Atlantic Division standings and do not have a player with more than two goals this season.

New York may turn away from Vezina-finalist Henrik Lundqvist, who started every game this season for the club, in this contest. However, the 25-year-old Swede is 7-0-0 with a 1.26 GAA and a .958 save percentage against Boston in his career.

If Lundqvist does not play, Stephen Valiquette will get the start. He has just 12 games of NHL experience in his career.